Alexander Gauland

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Alexander Gauland has been described as an 'elder'[1] and 'vice-chairman'[2] of the Eurosceptic party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In May 2016, the AfD vice-chairman sparked controversy when he asserted that "people wouldn't want Boateng as a neighbor," referring to German national team defender Jerome Boateng, whose father is from Ghana. [3] Co-chairwoman Frauke Petry distanced herself from that statement at the time, but an interview in September 2016 with "Die Welt" similarly prompted accusations of racism - even from within her own party. [4]

Views

On PEGIDA

Gauland has declared AfD ‘the natural allies' of the anti-Islam PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of the West) movement and attended one of its demonstrations in December 2014[5]

On Muslim immigration

Gauland has called for a stop to the migration into Germany of Muslims from the Middle East who 'aren’t willing or able to integrate'.[2]

Affiliations

Notes

  1. Gone boy on the right, The Economist, 24 January 2015
  2. 2.0 2.1 Anton Troianovski, Upstart German Party Considers Anti-Islam Stance], Wall Street Journal, 28 January 2015
  3. Von Alan Posener, 'Bei Gauland hat die „FAS“ Fehler gemacht', Die Welt, 06 June 2016. Accessed 14 September 2016.
  4. Jefferson Chase, AfD co-chair Petry wants to rehabilitate controversial term, Die Welt, 11 September 2016. Accessed 14 September 2016.
  5. Adam Withnall, Germany sees 'visible rise' in support for far-right extremism in response to perceived 'Islamisation' of the West, The Independent, 15 December 2014, accessed 5 Jan 2015